What has become of Afghanistan?

The targeted killing of al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri last week came almost one year on from the fall of Kabul to the Taliban. His location in a safe house in the middle of the Afghan capital was a reminder, as Colin P. Clarke writes , that the terrorist trio of the Taliban, the Haqqani network, and al Qaeda remain “in lockstep.” This despite the Taliban’s promise in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal that they would not let Afghanistan become a haven for international terrorists.

In fact, the Taliban’s shocking brutality continues apace, with a new report concluding that the militant group has “arbitrarily detained, tortured, and killed dozens of civilians” accused of working with resistance fighters. For more on what has become of Afghanistan in the year since that dramatic—and chaotic—U.S. withdrawal, join FP editor in chief Ravi Agrawal on Thursday in conversation with Lynne O’Donnell , an FP columnist and reporter who was recently detained by the Taliban, and Michael Kugelman, author of FP’s South Asia Brief. Register to attend this live event here .—The Editors

New and Noteworthy

• Iran Deal Talks Go Into Overtime: Last week, U.S.-led Iran nuclear deal negotiations extended into overtime, Congress moved to counter Russia and China in the Balkans, and President Joe Biden prepared to slap Myanmar with new sanctions. Read the latest edition of Situation Report , where our reporters Jack Detsch and Robbie Gramer unpack national security, defense, and cybersecurity news for FP readers. Sign up to get this report in your inbox every Thursday.
• Why Superpower Crises Are a Good Thing: Hal Brands, whose essay on the new global arms race appeared in our Summer 2022 print magazine, argues that a new era of tensions will focus minds and break logjams. Go deeper.
• Climate Finance and Geostrategic Interests in the Pacific: The Pacific islands are an underdiscussed, yet increasingly important, strategic theater of great-power politics between the United States and China as well as transnational challenges such as climate change. FP Analytics’ latest Insider brief breaks down Chinese and U.S. strategic and security interests in the Pacific region, the potential economic and security impacts of climate change on the Pacific islands, and the role of climate development finance in the economies of Pacific island countries.

FP Live: Reporters’ Notebooks

Aug. 9, 2022 | 1 p.m. EDT?|?Register

Want the inside scoop on Russian arms sales to Africa? Care to learn more about how Ukraine is arming itself and how Beijing views Washington’s support for Taiwan? FP subscribers are already familiar with the work of Amy Mackinnon, Jack Detsch, and Robbie Gramer. Join them in conversation with FP’s Ravi Agrawal to get a behind-the-scenes look at the biggest stories in global affairs.

FP Live: The Future of Afghanistan

Aug. 11, 2022 | 12 p.m. EDT | Register

Last summer, the United States decided to end its longest war. But just as the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan, Kabul fell—and the Taliban took control of the country. Aug. 15 will mark one year since the group has been in power. How are Afghans coping with their new rulers? Are there internal policy spats within the Taliban? Has the international community done enough to assist Afghans? What does the future hold for the country? For answers, join an in-depth discussion with Lynne O’Donnell, a columnist for FP detained by the Taliban last month, and Michael Kugelman, the writer of FP’s weekly South Asia Brief.

FP Live discussions are open to all with registration.?Subscribe ?to ask questions and access recordings on-demand. Know someone who would be interested in this event? Forward this email.

Top Stories Last Week

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• Ukraine’s Battle for Kherson Could Be a Key Victory By Doug Klain
• Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Legacy of Terror By Daniel Byman

The Summer Reading List for NatSec Wonks

It’s August, officially the dog days of summer, and that means it’s well past time to catch up on your reading for the year. Our friends at SitRep have been working their little fingers to the bone culling through online book deliveries, little free libraries, and stacks of advance book copies at FP’s (now reopened) office to find you beach reads that are so riveting, you won’t even notice how sunburned you are. Read our favorite picks .

From Around FP

• Is a Strong U.S. Dollar a Good Thing?: In the latest episode of Ones and Tooze , hosts Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze discuss how the U.S. dollar has reached near-parity with the euro and is the strongest it has been in nearly two decades. The two review what that means for exports and imports and what it says about the overall strength of the U.S. economy. Listen on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts. Tell us what you think: Rate and review the episode after listening.
• From Fragility to Resilience: Empowering communities with the tools for resilience and capacity-building is vital for economic and human security in developing countries. How can governments, implementation partners, and local stakeholders collaborate to advance these efforts? Join FP for a Virtual Dialogue exploring the strategies and policies that can turn these development goals into action.
• Pelosi Defies China: FP’s Jack Detsch joined C-SPAN Radio last week to discuss U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Listen to the podcast .

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